Method and systems for licensing electronic data

• US 7,146,340 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2001
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Musson, Robert Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Application Number:
  US09/915,030
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: 705/56, 705/57, 713/200, 713/201, 709/226
• US Class Current: 705/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Methods and a system of licensing electronic data are provided. A method of ensuring proper licensing is provided, comprising the executable instructions of receiving a data file and removing at least a portion of the data file which prevents any use associated with the data file. Further, a license authenticating set of executable instructions are wrapped around the data file and executed to determine whether the data file is associated with a valid license. If the data file is associated with a valid license, the removed portion of the data file is restored making the data file available for use.

A method of authenticating a license set of executable instructions is provided, having executable instructions wherein the license set of executable instructions is received while a computing device housing the license set of executable instructions is in communication with one or more licensing computing devices. The license set of executable instructions is executed on the computing device to determine if a valid license exist, and the license set of executable instructions is prevented from further executing on the computing device if the valid license does not exist.

Furthermore, a system for validating data files is provided having a wrapping set of executable instructions operable to be executed prior to using a data file on a computing device. Moreover, a validation set of executable instructions is provided operable to permit the data file to be useable on the computing device if a valid license to use the data file exists on the computing device.

Claims

1. In a computing device, a method of ensuring proper licensing, comprising the steps of:

receiving a data file at the computing device;

removing at least a portion of the data file at the computing device preventing a use associated with the data file;

wrapping a license authentication set of executable instructions around the data file at the computing device;

executing the license authentication set of executable instructions at the computing device to determine whether the data file is associated with a valid license; and

at the computing device, restoring the removed portion of the data file if the valid license exists thereby making the data file available for use.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing the data file from use if the valid license is not authenticated.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

notifying an owner at other than the computing device location if the data file does not have the valid license.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data file is a set of executable instructions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data file is an MP3 music file.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

customizing the license authentication set of executable instructions based on a user license.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the license authentication set of executable instructions to one or more application service providers wherein the license authentication set of executable instructions is customized based on one or more levels of service of the application service providers.

8. A method of authenticating a licensed set of executable instructions, comprising the executable instructions of:

receiving a license set of executable instructions while a computing device housing the license set of executable instructions is in communication with one or more licensing computing devices;

executing the license set of executable instructions exclusively at the computing device to determine if the license set of executable instructions is associated with a valid license;

permitting the license set of executable instructions to further execute on the computing device if the valid license exists; and

preventing the license set of executable instructions from further executing on computing device if the valid license does not exist.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

executing the license set of executable instructions while the computing device is not in communication with one or more of the licensing computing devices.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the license set of executable instructions is associated with providing a least one of audio, image, and video data.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

exclusively at the computing device, removing at least a portion of the license set of executable instructions prior to executing the license set of executable instructions.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

exclusively at the computing device, restoring the removed portion of the license set of executable instructions only when the valid license exists.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the portion removed is associated with a dynamic linked library necessary for execution of the license set of executable instructions.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the removed portion is encrypted using public-private key technology.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the private key or public key resides within the license set of executable instructions.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

at other than the computing device location, notifying electronically a licensor of the license set of executable instructions if an attempt to execute the license set of executable instructions occurs at the computing device location without the valid license.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification is made as soon as the computing device is capable of being in communication with the licensing computing devices.

18. A system for validating data files on a stand alone computing device, comprising:

a wrapping set of executable instructions operable to be executed on the computing device prior to using a data file on the computing device, the wrapping set of executable instructions operable to remove a portion of the data file preventing a use associated with the data file; and

a validation set of executable instructions on the computing device called by the wrapping set of executable instructions operable to permit the data file to be useable on the computing device if a valid license to use the data file exists on the computing device, usability of the data file including restoration of the removed portion of the data file.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the data file is an executable set of instructions.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the validation set of executable instructions operates while the computing device is not in communication with any external computing devices.